Supply chain managers who wish to enhance those cost savings should consider the benefits of renting, rather than owning, their pallets. How to Determine If a Wood Pallet Is Safe for Use: I've noticed recently that there is a lot of incorrect or outdated information regarding wood pallets. Usually, we get a lot of Southern Yellow Pine in my area of the world. However, for most companies, high-quality plastic pallets will offer the best value through long-term cost savings as a result of their durability, longevity, lighter weight, and other benefits. Plastic pallets have a unibody construction, meaning they’re fused together and don’t require nails or screws. Pine varies in color from creamy white to yellow, and is more suited to rustic and traditional styles. by ensuring that sellable products make up more of the weight of each truckload. Cynthia Chen has been writing for various online publications since 2002. Pine wood is usually much softer than oak which has finer rings. Visit a furniture store and examine the different showcases. Even so, softwood pallets often still have a lower maximum load capacity than hardwood pallets. Along with maple, they are the most common woods used in commercial furniture construction. Suite 520 Their lighter weight makes them easier for employees to move and stack, reduces wear and tear on automated equipment and machinery, and can help. For all of these reasons, if you’re choosing between hardwood and pine pallets, you might be looking at the wrong options. However, for most companies, high-quality plastic pallets will offer the best value through long-term cost savings as a result of their durability, longevity, lighter weight, and other benefits. On top of that, they’re lighter than their hardwood counterparts, usually weighing no more than 50 pounds. Pine trees have long slender leaves called needles. There are lots of pros and cons to consider when deciding to ship your pallets on one of these woods. More wood is generally used to build a pine pallet in order to make up for its lower density. As pine is not as dense as hardwood, these pallets are much easier to handle. To help you determine the best option for your company, here is a breakdown of the differences between the two types of pallets. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, Difference Between: Difference Between Oak and Pine, Pine Solutions: Oak Furniture versus Pine Furniture. Supply chain managers who wish to enhance those cost savings should consider the benefits of renting, rather than owning, their pallets. In some cases, plastic pallets can carry as much as 5000 pounds of dynamic weight and 2800 pounds edge-rackable. Since plastic doesn’t absorb moisture, it won’t rot, mold, or mildew, and is easy to clean and sanitize. Yet in choosing between these two types of wood, supply chain managers often forget about a third alternative: plastic. Pine pallets are a lot lighter than Oak pallets. It’s relatively easy to identify this type of wood because of the frequent presence of dark knots and its distinct yellow color (although this can sometimes lean more towards pale yellow or light brown, depending on the exact species). Plastic pallets have a unibody construction, meaning they’re fused together and don’t require nails or screws. My back appreciates loading Pine pallets into our vehicle and tells me I’m evil when we find Oak pallets. Just how much can the iGPS plastic pallet pooling system lower your carbon emissions, 315 E. Robinson Street when nails and screws come loose from a pallet. Hardwood pallets are more expensive than pine pallets, and supply may also be inconsistent. A former study done by the USDA and Virginia tech determined that SYP made up 18.9% of all woods used while oak made up 17.1% (by volume). This type of pallet is often considered to be a viable alternative to plastic pallets due to a number of design attributes and qualities of the former. High-quality plastic pallets are more durable than wood and have a higher load capacity. In this post, we’ll dive into the strengths and weaknesses of hardwood pallets and pine pallets, and we’ll talk about why you might consider a third alternative instead. For these reasons, those looking for a lighter, cleaner, and more durable pallet might want to look to an alternative material that is rapidly growing in popularity: plastic. When comparing hardwood and softwood, it’s important to understand the difference between the two on a basic level. Comparing hardwood pallets vs. pine reveals that, while they each have their own unique benefits, they have many of the same drawbacks. On top of that, they’re lighter than their hardwood counterparts, usually weighing no more than 50 pounds. take on the responsibility of maintenance and replacement of pallets, which eliminates the need for a business to repair or store large numbers of pallets. Hardwood has a higher density than other woods, making it last longer even under adverse conditions. Any company comparing hardwood pallets vs. pine platforms should consider the easier and more reliable alternative of pooled plastic pallets. Email: [email protected] Oak trees grow much more slowly than pine trees, and it is this investment in time that makes oak more expensive. Telephone: 1-800-884-0225, Sustainable, Reusable Plastic Shipping Pallets, How to Reduce Product Losses in the Supply Chain, A Guide to Top Grocery Chain Pallet Requirements, A Guide to Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Plastic pallets offer many of the benefits that both hardwood and softwood pallets provide, while eliminating the problems inherent in wood in general. than even the best wood block pallets. Pine frequently goes into making single-use stringer pallets, which are rejected by many retailers. There are dozens of different pine and oak species, but pine is one of the softest woods you can find in common use, and oak … Oak and pine are relatively distinct varieties of wood used in making furniture and flooring. Shipping pallets are usually made either from hardwoods like hickory, mahogany, maple, oak, teak, and walnut, or from various types of pine, which are softwoods. For most companies, high-quality plastic pallets will offer the best value through long-term cost savings as a result of their durability, longevity, lighter weight, and other benefits. iGPS is dedicated to being the industry leader of innovative, world-class supply chain solutions leveraging sustainable, intelligent shipping platforms while achieving unmatched value for our customers, investors, and employees. Pallets made of both types of wood can warp and break and both. If you’re interested in getting all that makes The Wood Database unique distilled into a single, real-world resource, there’s the book that’s based on the website—the Amazon.com best-seller, WOOD!Identifying … Oak trees grow much more slowly than pine trees, and it is this investment in time that makes oak more expensive. The two most common wood types used for making pallets are southern yellow pine (SYP) and oak. Pine is frequently used in pallets because it is a clean product that can be kiln dried without causing any damage. When it comes down to it, pallets made of both types of wood can warp and break–even hardwood–and both can damage equipment when nails and screws come loose from a pallet. Plastic also works to make supply chain management more efficient by reducing waste. Examine the color of the wood. Compare the prices of both types of wood. Knock on the wood. In the US, the world’s largest producer of wooden pallets, the two wood types most frequently used for pallet wood are oak and pine. Whoo..eee! I kind of lump Pine in with Ash & Fir – they all feel the same weight to me. Since plastic doesn’t absorb moisture, it won’t rot, mold, or mildew, and is easy to clean and sanitize. And no matter which type of wood a block pallet is made of, it will always be heavy, weighing as much as 75 or 80 pounds. Plastic also works to make, by reducing waste. The differences between the two types of wood are based primarily on their physical structure, making it unrealistic to assume softwoods are only soft and hardwoods are only hard. Oak is used mainly for making traditional, long-lasting furniture such as counters, islands and pianos. At the end of its lifespan, a plastic pallet can be ground down and reformed into another pallet, making it a recyclable and sustainable choice. My company makes dozens of pallets each day so I thought I would clear the air in regard to new pallets … If you don’t know, try to find someone to show you. Plastic pallets also support. If you’re comparing hardwood pallets vs. pine platforms, you’ll most likely end up choosing between durability or affordability. Their lighter weight makes them easier for employees to move and stack, reduces wear and tear on automated equipment and machinery, and can help reduce the cost of transportation by ensuring that sellable products make up more of the weight of each truckload. Oak is a hard wood and is heavier and more wear-resistant than its soft wood competitor, thus it will have a more solid, denser sound.